Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Blurb:

JUST YOUR AVERAGE
MEGA-WITCH. . . .

It’s tough being a
modern woman, but Persephone Alcmedi has it worse than most. Being the
prophesied Lustrata has kicked her career as a witch into high gear, and
juggling a wærewolf boyfriend who is about to become king of his kind and a
seductive vampire who bears her magical Mark isn’t easy either.

Still, Seph’s beloved
foster daughter, Beverley, is causing more trouble than these two men put
together. The young girl’s been playing with a magical artifact that’s far more
dangerous than she realizes. Now Seph must summon help from a mystical being so
potent that even vampires fear him . . . and the cost of his aid may be more
than she’s willing to pay. Seph, Johnny, and Menessos face threats from all
sides—and a few from within. Will the forces of destiny cement their tenuous
supernatural union, or shatter it forever?

Interview:

Where did you get the
idea for the novel?

I was in the
New Orleans airport waiting for my flight home. I had worked up a character
sketch of this guy named Johnny, front man for a rock n roll band and also a
waerewolf...I started thinking about who his ideal woman would be thinking that
once I had her figured out I'd know the story. I started the sketch of
Persephone Alcmedi and she took over. I blame the shrimp po-boy I was eating.

Your title. Who came up
with it? Did you ever change your title?

I have had
many title changes. The first book VICIOUS CIRCLE was originally submitted as
Full Circle. The second, HALLOWED CIRCLE stayed the same. The third is listed
in the inside cover of the first book as Dead Circle, but was released as FATAL
CIRCLE. The fourth, ARCANE CIRCLE stayed the same throughout. The fifth was
submitted as Malefic Circle, but was changed to WICKED CIRCLE. Since I had only
truly named every other book, I gave the editor a list of 3 words for the sixth
book. We talked about them and picked SHATTERED CIRCLE.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

The novel. The story always comes first for
me. Titles are secondary. They should reflect the story and I can’t write “to”
a title.

What was the very
first book you wrote (very first, not published)?

When I
was eight, I wrote a 'Harlequin' romance for my mom because she read so many of
them. I illustrated it and even put the little symbol on it if I remember
correctly. It was about a princess who hated skirts and dresses, who was
getting married to a prince. Someone shot him at the wedding so she and all her
friends went off on a spaceship to catch the bad guy, and had some pizza at a
space station. There was no mention of the prince dying, nor was an ambulance
called. I think he survived, but I cannot prove it.

Since becoming a writer,
what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

At Dragoncon in Atlanta,
I got to be on a panel with Jim Butcher in front of ... probably a thousand or
fifteen hundred people. VERY cool. And the other day I was at a local ice cream
shop and this lady next to me asks very softly, "Are you that
author?" That was pretty cool, too.

What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

Rogue
Warrior by Richard Marcinko with John Weisman.

What is your writing
process?

A character is developed
followed by a plot to suit them, or vice versa. There are so many fun quirks
you can give to a character, or to their story. Then work out a way to have
that be the thing that saves the day--or loses the day, and then you get to
watch how they deal with it. It's the creativity of the whole thing that I
love.

Who are your favorite
authors of all time?

I will
always love both: Ellen Kushner's "The Fall of the Kings" and
Jennifer Roberson's "Sword Dancer."

At a book signing, do you just sign
your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?

I have little things pertinent to each
story that I tuck into the signing, but I am not stuck on that. If the person
getting the book signed has chatted with me on facebook or at other cons, I may
reference that to make it more personal. I want them to know there was a
connection, and I remembered, you know?

What is something people
would be surprised to know about you?

My IQ is two standard
deviations above average, my college GPA was 3.59, and I hate sappy
chick-flicks.

How do you react to a
bad review?

Meh. If the bad review
is written in a "this book is utter shit" way (which I did see once…it
was a newer review of the first book that I found shortly after the fourth book
had been released, and it happened to be on my birthday...) then I will simply
read the review. Those kind of tones indicate to me that the book was not
something that person would have liked no matter what. However, if the tone is
critical without the sense of anger or mean-spiritedness, I will read it and
consider the reviewers points. Sometimes I agree with the weakness they shine
that spotlight on. I add that point to my list of 'don't do that’s' and try to
improve the next time around. (It's a big list, by the way. Learning from
mistakes, and not repeating them, is my mantra.) Sometimes, I think the
reviewer simply doesn't look at the big picture of the series like I do. The
Persephone Alcmedi books aren't meant to be stand-alone installments, and if
the reviewer is pretty clearly lost or assuming that the story leaves some
things unfinished and sees that as a bad thing, then they just aren't getting
the unit is a part of the whole.

Either way, it's not going to ruin my day or make me cry. It's a
review. It's an opinion. Everybody has one. Not everybody's is like mine. I'm
okay with that.

How did you celebrate
the sale of your first book?

I took my
fella to a fancy dinner and I paid.

About the Author

Linda Robertson is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns
three electric guitars, and is followed around by a big dog named after Bela
Lugosi. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band
and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when
time permits. Linda currently writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. Visit her at
AuthorLindaRobertson.com and @authorLinda

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Vanilla on Top

By CJ Ellisson

Discover your inner
bad girl, and set her free…

Heather Pierce is done
being a wallflower, both personally and professionally. Desperate to live a
different life for one night, she attends a speed dating event. Maybe here,
anonymous unless she chooses otherwise, she can become someone new. When a man
way out of her league sits across from her, Heather gathers her courage and
takes charge of what she wants, secretly fearing he won’t desire the real
person she’s desperate to hide.

Top acquisitions
officer and international playboy Tony Carmine is about to close the biggest
deal of his career. But then he meets Heather at a speed dating event…and
discovers losing control may be exactly what he needs. Her blossoming
sensuality occupies his every thought, consuming him with the need to possess
the most intriguing lover he’s ever encountered—until he walks into the
boardroom and sees Heather on the other side of the negotiating table.

Interview:

1.Where did you get the idea for the
novel?

The novel started brewing with the growing rise in popularity
for BDSM novels. I couldn’t relate to the hard-core ones, but thought I could
relate to a more “vanilla” approach. Perhaps one that focused on a couple’s
joint discovery of testing their boundaries and trying new things.

When I didn’t find anything like what I’d envisioned, I decided
to write it.

2.Your title. Who came up with it? Did
you ever change your title?

Originally the title was
Vanilla Dom (my own creation) and I had planned to self-pub the book. My
best friend, Boone Brux, only had good things to say about her publisher,
Entangled, so I thought I’d check out their new steamy Brazen line and see if
my light BDSM book might be a good fit. At first I was really worried it would
be too much for them. I was pleasantly surprised when it wasn’t! They got some
initial negative feedback on the title and decided to switch it. I was thrilled
they came up with a compromise that remained true to the original concept.

3.Which came first, the title or the
novel?

The title. For me, it was all about concept. This concept and
the “vanilla” aspects of approaching experimentation with BDSM are what
initially spoke to me.

4.Since becoming a writer, what’s the
most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

Honest to God, it was being in a short TV interview where I
answered three questions and spoke for a total of perhaps 60 seconds. The
moment was over way too fast, but it was still a stomach-clenching experience!

5.What book are you currently reading
or what was the last book you read?

6.What was your first book that you
ever wrote (very first one you wrote, not published)?

The very first book I ever wrote is published. It’s Vampire
Vacation. I wish I could change some things about the book now, but what’s done
is done.

7.What is your writing process?

Get an idea, discuss concept with my husband, let the idea
percolate, write the concept down, then loosely outline the entire book. Next I
start writing. Sometimes I veer off the outline, but overall it helps me to
stay on track.

8.Who are your
favorite authors of all time?

Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Illona Andrews,
and Emma Holly. They will all be auto-buys for me. Well, unless their latest
eBook is $14.99, like Mr. Butcher’s was. Then I will resist until the price
comes down.

9.At a book signing, do you just sign
your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?

I write a note. If I know them from FB I will usually make a
reference to that. If we’re at a convention, likewise. I thank them for trying
my work and I wish them happy reading. Sometimes I ramble, but none of them
have complained so far ;-)

10.What is something
people would be surprised to know about you?

I have no formal training in writing and everything I
learned about the craft and the industry I discovered on my own or through crit
partners. I’m proof positive that if I
can become a published author, that with enough hard work, anyone can.

11.How do you react to a bad review?

I read it over several times. I try to discern if it’s more a
personal opinion, a personal attack, or a valid criticism. Then I call my best
friend, who tells me to ignore the reviews, stop reading them, and get back to
work.

12.How did you celebrate the sale of
your first book?

Interesting question because my first book never actually sold.
My agent couldn’t get a deal within six months, so I started my own company to
publish Vampire Vacation. This was back in 2010 when self-pubbing was still
considered gauche, so lots of my peers looked down their nose at me. I’m pretty
sure my husband bought me roses and took me out to dinner. That was also the
month I had to go to a new specialist who turned my whole world upside down
with pills and more tests, so it was a pretty restrained celebration.

Thanks for having me here today, Alisia! You asked some terrific
questions!

Excerpt:

His eyes glide over me, a slight spark of what I
hope is interest in their depths. A flare of awareness ignites in my chest. The
man’s charming grin remains in place. A good sign so far. Right as he opens his
kissable mouth to speak, his phone rings. His relaxed expression turns into a grimace
as he digs in his pocket to retrieve the offending device.

“Sorry,” he mumbles my way before answering. He
turns slightly in his seat, angling himself away. “Yes?” He barks into the
phone. “No, I won’t be back in tonight. The instructions are in the email I
sent.”

At least I had the decency to turn off my phone
before I came in. Hell, unless you’re a doctor on call, I doubt there’s
anything that important requiring your phone to stay on for two hours. He looks
into the distance and I feel a twinge of annoyance.

“No,” his tone grinds out, authoritative and
powerful. “You need to listen to me, Brian. The directions are in the
email. You follow them precisely and the deal will close. Call me again and I’m
going to be really pissed.”

He clicks his phone shut and closes his eyes.
Tension spills off him and I hesitate to break the silence. What could be so
important that he feels the weight of the world on his shoulders? He takes a
deep breath and opens them again, staring straight into my eyes.

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me.” He angles
toward me. I nod my reassurance that it’s okay, but inside I can’t help but
think I’ve lost even more of my precious allotted time with this desirable stranger.
He really is way out of my league.

“You know what I want more than anything?” he
says with a touch of longing. “I want someone else to take control for a while.
I’m really sick of being the guy in charge all the time.”

I smile, not particularly sure I can relate, but
willing to appear understanding. His phone rings again and sharp anger stabs my
gut.

“Turn it off,” I say, with a challenge in my
tone. I sit up straighter and stare into the depths of his caramel eyes. “You
want someone to tell you what to do?” He nods, his calculating gaze on me as
the phone continues to ring. “Turn off that damn phone,” I bite out, pretending
I’m issuing a command. “Now.”

Shock registers across his expression, but he
hides it quickly. I raise an eyebrow and feel the sparks fly across the table
between us. He returns my stare and smiles, the first real one I’ve seen on him
since he came into the restaurant. It’s kind of lopsided and lazy, curling my
toes at the devilment it promises. The phone rings a third time and I break our
standoff and glance away, tilting my chin an inch higher, showing my
displeasure in his lack of action. He fumbles for the phone on the table
between us and shuts it off.

About the Author:

C.J. Ellisson writes erotica and urban fantasy.
Her vampire series, The V V Inn, mixes a heavy dose of erotic elements with
suspense, action, a little bit of mystery and some light humor. She lives in
northern Virginia with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a fluffy black
cat who makes her sneeze.

To learn more about C.J.'s books (where you can
read half of the novels for free), please visit her website at www.cjellisson.com

Monday, January 28, 2013

See Me by Natalie Nicole Bates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Carly
Anders is hearing voices in her head. Another one of her kind is trying to
contact her. She knows of the malevolent freaks—others who are eternal like her
and seek out the weak to inflict pain upon. For years, Carly has held up huge
protective walls to keep herself and her secrets safe. Now, physically and
mentally exhausted, Carly needs protection and rest.

She
accepts the invitation to visit an internet friend who needs help appraising a
collection of antique photographs. The
situation is not ideal, but Carly hopes a male presence in her life will deter
the determined suitor who haunts her thoughts and dreams.

Daniel
Tremont is not what Carly is expecting.

The
former funeral director has a secret of his own. Not only is he eternal like
Carly, he is her creation from all those years before—her abomination she
thought she killed.

Daniel
has been searching for Carly for years. He knows she is the piece of his life
that he has been missing for so long. Now that he has found her, he has no
intentions of letting her go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

A
flicker of life ignited in her eyes. Her hands came up to his face, and to
Daniel’s surprise, tears bubbled from his own eyes. He was releasing the pain
and fear he had absorbed from his beloved.

In
his mind, he could see the moving clockwork gears of her thoughts once again as
she tried to process what he was telling her to be true.

“Just
accept it, and let’s move forward.”

She
drew his face to hers and her lips parted beneath his. Time blurred and he
drank in the essence of his Carly. Her soft, barely covered curves molded
themselves against his the hard planes of his body. Her hands were under his
t-shirt, her fingers stroking him.

If
he pressed on, he knew she wouldn’t refuse him. But in her vulnerable state, he
wouldn’t let anything progress further that night. Carly needed time to process
everything that happened. There was plenty of time to pursue a physical relationship.
They weren’t going any where…he hoped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a
book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include
books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique
poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to
being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the
UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th
century post-mortem photos.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Blurb:

I will not let my brother suffer the same loss…

Hadassah’s father, the Vampire King, punished her for her choice to love a human. Now her brother, the only person in the world who still matters to her, has fallen for a human girl. Determined to keep the girl safe, the three of them flee from their home in New England and find themselves cornered with their father’s minions closing in. If they want to escape, their only hope may be to join forces with the mortal enemies of their kind…

Be ensnared in this dark tale of enduring love, loyalty, and revenge from teenage author, Elisabeth Wheatley.

Author bio:

Elisabeth Wheatley is a high school student homeschooled in the Texas Hill Country. When she’s not daydreaming of elves and vampires, she is making goat cheese, studying mythology and training and showing her Jack Russell Terrier, Schnay.

About Me

HI, my name is Alisia. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I like to go to the beach and collect sea glass and sand from different states. I like to go bowling and ice skating (both of which I am not very good at but thats what makes it fun). And I LOVE reading :). I have started getting into watching anime (and love it so far). I also have a twin sister. And I am half way through college!!